“Nearly 1/3 customers ride only once. If we can convert even a fraction of these one-and-done travelers into repeat riders, we’ll be well on our way to meeting to achieving the corporate goal of doubling ridership to 66 million trips within the next decade.”
—— Amtrak leadership
Our Goal
Convert new riders into loyal repeat customers.
Who are the first-time travelers
>>>
Target users are defined by behaviors, not by a single label.
We extracted the essential user behavior pattern as our criterian within this problem space, which freed us from struggling with a single lable and to see the ‘real people’.
❌
Do they have experience with Amtrak before?
✅
Are they familiar enough to feel comfortable and informed about this specific trip?
Hence, our target market section were expanded.
First-time travelers ≠ a label limited to people who have never taken Amtrak, it includes anyone who shares a similar sense of unfamiliarity with the Amtrak experience
What barriers keep unfamiliar passengers from ever feeling confident in navigating Amtrak’s system
>>>
Observation revealed small yet wide-spread pain points .
Each of these individual pain points may seem minor, but collectively, they significantly diminish travelers' overall experience by accumulating stress and uncertainty throughout their journey.
The genuine barrier is the gap between user and existing service.
We realized the real issue isn’t the absence of available solutions. The genuine barrier is the gap between Amtrak's existing, comprehensive service offerings and travelers' ability to easily discover and access these resources. Travelers often remain unaware of solutions unless they proactively seek help from station staff, creating unnecessary friction in their journey.
Our Solution
A digital-physical hybrid solution that brings Amtrak’s services to travelers’ fingertips, leveraging physical and digital assets to anticipate first-time riders’ needs and support them from the moment they enter the station.
Stage Based Pop-up Guides
Redesigned Physical Signage System
Indoor Navigation Map
(Visually coordinate with phisical sinage design system)
Entry Point
Contextual notifications proactively appear at key moments of the user journey, leveraging Amtrak’s location-based system.
Travelers can revisit these guides anytime in the Amtrak app.
Begin the trip
Stage Based Pop-up Guides
Customized notifications are provided based on users' specific context and status upon arrival at the station.
Arrive at the station
Indoor Navigation Map + Physical Signage System
Travelers can easily navigate station amenities using the indoor navigation map. Consistent visual design between the digital map and physical signage system helps users quickly orient themselves and locate services.
Navigate the station
Stage Based Pop-up Guides
The onboard experience is designed to offer delightful surprises and reassuring notifications, making travelers feel informed and at ease throughout their journey.
On the train
Stage Based Pop-up Guides
Upon arrival, travelers receive tailored notifications about services at their destination station. A feedback survey completes the experience, creating a continuous improvement loop.
End the trip
Stage Based Pop-up Guides
Redesigned Physical Signage System
Indoor Navigation Map (Visually coordinate with phisical sinage design system)
How it benifits:
For first-time travelers:
First-time travelers benefit from increased confidence and reduced uncertainty, facilitated by proactive, seamless integration between digital and physical touchpoints. Personalized guidance remains continuously accessible, significantly improving their overall travel experience.
For Amtrak:
For Amtrak, this approach reduces the operational burden on staff while enabling more personalized customer interactions. Additionally, it opens avenues for self-service opportunities, potential new revenue streams, and valuable data acquisition to inform future enhancements.
YEAR/DURATION
2025
2 months
COLLABORATORS
Iris Yan
Carmen Chang,
Shreyas Kulcarni
Luca Cao
ROLE
User Experience Strategy & Research Lead
UX Designer
